Ladybug vs Chat Noir
by kflores17
Summary: "I need your help to take down Ladybug," Gabriel says to Adrien after he discovers that his father is Hawkmoth. Gabriel gives Adrien the Chat Noir miraculous that he's had in his possession, convincing him to help defeat Ladybug so he can have the power to bring his mother back. But can Adrien go through with this? Things get complicated when he starts to fall for Ladybug...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Some of the passages in this fanfic are based off actual scenes in Miraculous Ladybug and I even use a few direct quotes to stay true to the show. However, this is kind of an alternate universe in the sense that Adrien receives his miraculous from Hawkmoth rather than from Master Fu.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous Ladybug.**

* * *

Prologue

Adrien was 15 years old when he discovered who his father really was.

He had been about to enter his father's office after finally gathering up the guts to ask if he could attend public school. He took a deep breath and was about to knock when he noticed one of the doors was slightly cracked open.

"You're telling me this NOW?" he heard his father growl. "The show is in two weeks!"

Adrien stood outside the doors and peaked through the crack to see who his father was speaking to. Gabriel Agreste stood in front of the painting of Adrien's mother and was holding a cell phone to his ear.

"Don't call me back until you've taken care of it!" Gabriel practically yelled into the phone.

Adrien flinched, feeling sorry for whoever was on the other end of the phone. Maybe this wasn't such a good time to bring up the whole public school thing…

Just as Adrien was about to turn and walk away, he saw his father reach out to grasp the edge of the large painting on the wall. He pulled on the painting's edge and it suddenly swung off the wall like a door.

Adrien gasped. _What is he…?_

Just then, his father's head snapped up.

"Who's there?" Gabriel demanded, looking around the room.

 _Crap_.

Adrien froze. Fess up or run? But his father left him no option.

"Adrien? Come in here," Gabriel called out in a suddenly calm voice.

Every muscle in his body tensed as he pushed open the door and walked into the office. He looked up and noticed that there was a safe hidden away in the wall behind where the painting normally hung. Adrien turned his gaze to his father, who stood next to it with a somber expression.

"Father… What's in the safe?" Adrien asked, unsure of how he was bold enough to ask.

A chilling expression came across his father's face. After a few moments, he finally spoke. "Son, I think it's time I give you something."

Adrien watched in confusion as his father turned to unlock the safe. He reached inside and when he held his hands out in front of Adrien, he held a little black box with red markings.

"Adrien, I need your help," Gabriel said.

 _My father needs MY help?_ Adrien thought in awe. Adrien was so sure his father didn't want anything to do with him. But here he stood, asking for his son's help. All Adrien could think about was how this was his chance to finally prove himself to his father.

"Anything for you, dad," Adrien answered, his eyes filled with hope.

Gabriel smiled warmly at his son, something he hadn't done in years. But after a moment, his eyes hardened.

"I need your help to take down Ladybug."

* * *

An hour later, Adrien sat on his bed staring down at the little black box in his hands. He felt numb.

 _My father is Hawkmoth… and he wants me to help him take down Ladybug..._ He thought over and over again.

His father had explained how he needed Ladybug's earrings in order to have enough power to bring his mother back.

 _Mom..._

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to dwell on thoughts of his mother. He had stopped allowing himself to think about her because his father would yell at him to stop crying.

Adrien had wanted so badly to take the opportunity to ask his father what happened to her, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. His father never spoke of her disappearance. Even now, all he said was that he could bring her back if he could steal Ladybug's earrings.

And then there was this box. Adrien opened his eyes and ran his fingers along the smooth wood. His father had said it was another _miraculous_ , as he called it. Gabriel said that if Adrien wanted to help get his mother back, all he needed to do was open this box.

 _But Ladybug…_ Adrien sighed. Ladybug. The beloved heroine of Paris. How could he fight against her?

Adrien looked over longingly at his computer screen. As usual, the Ladyblog was pulled up on the screen and a photo of Ladybug was displayed at the center of the webpage.

He wouldn't admit it outloud, but he had a major crush on the superheroine. He remembered the first time he saw her on the news. Television crews had showed the footage of her swinging up through the air to capture the swarm of black butterflies and then give an encouraging message to Parisians before defeating Stoneheart.

She was amazing. And beautiful. Whoever the girl was under that mask… Adrien shook himself out of his thoughts. But now, he had a decision to make.

How could he do this? Take down Ladybug? Join forces with Hawkmoth, _his own father?_ Adrien could never be a villain. He didn't want to hurt people. But he wanted his mother back so badly. He wanted to please his father and finally feel loved again.

He looked down at the box in his hands once more. He took a deep breath, and then he opened it.

A flash of green light blinded him and he dropped the box as he instinctively reached up to shield his eyes. When his sight finally cleared up, he saw a pair of green eyes floating in front of his face.

 _Wait... floating?_ Adrien let out a small yelp, but then leaned forward in curiosity.

"No way, like the genie in the lamp!" he exclaimed, reaching out a finger to poke the small, black, cat-like creature floating in front of him.

"I met him once," the small creature said. "So he grants wishes, big deal. I'm way more personable! Plagg, nice to meet you. Ooh, swanky!"

The creature flew over and put his mouth on a piece of nearby furniture.

"No! Don't touch that! Come back here!" Adrien called out, trying to grab Plagg out of the air.

After chasing the small creature around the room, Adrien finally trapped Plagg in his hands and demanded that the little cat explain things to him.

"Claws out," Plagg said after explaining that he was a kwami who would give him powers. "That's how you transform."

"Got it," Adrien said with a wicked grin. "Plagg, claws out!"

"No, wait!" Plagg cried as he started getting sucked into the ring he'd given Adrien. "I haven't finished explaining!"

Another flash of green lit up Adrien's room and suddenly he felt a material similar to leather hugging his body.

Adrien ran over to a mirror, grinning even more as he admired his new look. "Too cool!"

* * *

Gabriel Agreste was standing in his office admiring the painting of his wife when he got the feeling a pair of eyes was watching him.

Without turning, a grin spread across his face. "It seems you made your decision, son."

Gabriel turned to take in the sight of Adrien in his new suit.

"Or should I say, Chat Noir?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, Ladybug

A few months later, Adrien had turned 16 years old and was anxious to be released into the world.

He had spent those last few months training rigorously with Hawkmoth. His father would spend two hours with Adrien every night, making him go through obstacle courses that pushed him to the limits of his powers.

He also spent time studying Ladybug. He watched her from a distance when she was in the middle of a battle to see how she used her Lucky Charm to take down akumas. Her movements as she fought off akumatized victims became familiar and even predictable to him.

The more he watched her, the more he was intrigued by her. She was a stunning force to be reckoned with, but he was determined to be the one to finally take her down.

After months of training, he was ready to face her.

"Adrien, please don't do this," Plagg pleaded as Adrien opened one of his bedroom windows.

"Just give it up, Plagg," Adrien hissed. "I still haven't changed my mind. I'm not going to let my father down."

The kwami looked at Adrien with a defeated expression. He hated what Hawkmoth was doing to the boy. Adrien had a good heart and had so much potential to help people, but he was enslaved by the desire to earn his father's love and get his mother back.

"Ladybug is the only thing standing in the way of me getting my family back," Adrien growled. "But that's about to change."

He raised his fist in the air. "Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Chat Noir prowled along a rooftop, eyeing the crowded streets below.

It was Bastille Day, the French holiday celebrating the storming of the Bastille in 1789. Street parties, parades, and fireworks lit up the night sky at Place de la Bastille, the Champs Elysées, and Champ de Mars.

A perfect night to introduce himself to Ladybug and the rest of Paris.

He grinned devilishly as his eyes found the largest float at the front of the parade on the street below. Mayor Bourgeois and his daughter, Chloe, sat side by side in throne-like seats at the top of the float. Memories of childhood playdates with Chloe Bourgeois flashed across Adrien's mind and he chuckled.

"Sorry, Chlo," he murmured as he suddenly lept off the roof and landed on the float in front of the mayor and Chloe.

The two stared up at Chat, stunned. Anger then spread across the mayor's face.

"Who are _you_?" the mayor demanded, jumping up to his feet.

Chat Noir slowly held up a clawed hand to his own face, admiring how sharp his claws were. He heard the mayor suddenly gulp loudly. The corners of Chat's mouth twitched with amusement.

He had originally doubted becoming a villain. He hadn't been able to fathom scaring people and disrupting the peace in the city he loved. But the thrill was so enticing. The looks of horror he received made him feel powerful. Their fear gave him a rush of adrenaline. If he was going to be bad, he was going to be _really_ bad. And he was going to enjoy it.

Chat took a step towards the mayor and leaned forward so that he was just inches away from the man's face.

"Who am _I_?" Chat purred. "I'm the cat's _meow_."

Chat let out a dark laugh that made the mayor jump. Chloe got up and ducked behind her father, letting out a scream.

"Cataclysm!" Chat shouted and got down on one knee to slam his hand onto the float.

Then, he pounced onto the street below as the float began to crack. The mayor and the others on the float collapsed onto the street as the float disintegrated beneath their feet into a cloud of dust.

Chat calmly strutted over to a nearby cameraman and looked straight into the lens.

"The name's Chat Noir," he said into the camera. "And I would like to extend a personal invitation to Ladybug. Meet me at the top of the Eiffel Tower."

With a wink, Chat Noir disappeared onto the rooftops of Paris.

* * *

"Marinette, you look amazing," Nathaniel gasped as he approached Marinette and Alya.

Marinette blushed and looked down at her high heeled shoes. Alya had convinced her to dress up for the parade, pulling a black crop top and soft pink skirt out of Marinette's closet. Now, Marinette fiddled with the fabric of the skirt, flattered.

"Thanks, Nathaniel," she smiled up at him.

The shy artist blushed and pushed his hair away from his face nervously.

"Where's Nino?" Alya asked, interrupting the awkwardness.

"I haven't seen him," Nathaniel answered. "There's way too many people here."

Marinette disliked crowds almost as much as Nathaniel. His comment made her notice just how many people surrounded her on the crowded street. She pulled her purse closer to her body, hoping Tikki wasn't too uncomfortable in there.

"Ugh, there's Chloe," Alya muttered, pointing to the large float that was slowly passing by.

Chloe and her father, Mayor Bourgeois, were seated at the top of the float as if they were royalty. Marinette let out a huff as she watched Chloe blow kisses at everyone in the crowd as if they adored her or whatever.

A collective gasp suddenly rippled throughout the crowd as a dark figure landed on top of the float. Marinette's head snapped up to see what it was. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of a young man in a black suit, his hair thick and blonde, and his eyes a piercing green.

"Who the heck is _that_?" Alya breathed, excitement dripping from every word. In an instant, she had her phone out to record it all for her Ladyblog.

Marinette tensed as she saw the boy raise a clawed hand. Whoever he was, he didn't look friendly. She started scanning her surroundings, looking for a place where she could duck out of sight and transform.

But she was surrounded by so many people. She silently cursed Alya for insisting they make their way to the front of the crowd. Marinette cringed as she noticed a cameraman next to her. No way could she transform with so many people and cameras around.

Her attention turned back to the float when she heard a voice call out, "Cataclysm!" She watched in horror as the float started to crumble before her eyes.

The boy in black pounced over towards Marinette and she instinctively reached an arm out in front of Alya and Nathaniel, putting herself between them and the threatening villain. But the cat-like boy approached the cameraman next to them.

"The name's Chat Noir and I would like to extend a personal invitation to Ladybug," he said into the camera. Marinette froze. "Meet me at the top of the Eiffel Tower."

He winked and then jumped over the crowd onto a nearby rooftop, blending into the night sky. Before Alya and Nathaniel could notice, Marinette slipped into the crowd and made her way to a nearby alley.

"Tikki!" she whispered, opening her purse for the kwami to emerge. "We need to transform, I think Hawkmoth released another akuma!"

Tikki flew into Marinette's face. "Marinette, be careful! Something doesn't feel right," the kwami warned.

"All the more reason we have to try and stop him," Marinette replied. "Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Chat Noir stood at the top of the Eiffel Tower, leaning casually against a beam with his arms crossed as he looked out over the city lights.

Despite his calm demeanor, he felt a twinge of nerves. He was finally going to come face to face with the spotted heroine. What would she think of him? He scowled. _Who cares what she thinks?_ He thought.

His cat ears picked up the quiet sound of something whizzing through the air. The sound would've gone undetected by average ears, but Chat's senses were heightened when he transformed.

Just as an object came flying towards the back of his head, Chat reached back and caught it. He heard a quiet gasp and grinned mischievously.

"Hey now, LB," he said in a stern voice. "That's no way to introduce yourself."

Chat looked down at the spotted yo-yo he had caught in his hand and then turned to flash a smile at the stunned Ladybug.

"What's wrong?" he laughed. " _Chat_ got your tongue?"


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien's First Day of School

Ladybug's eyes were wide as she stood in front of Chat Noir. She had flung her yo-yo at his head, fully expecting to knock him out with one blow, but he had _caught_ the yo-yo in his hand.

His movements had been so quick that a gasp had escaped her lips. Her brows now furrowed in frustration as she took in his teasing gaze. She let out a low growl and then yanked on her yo-yo, pulling it out of the villain's hands.

"What do you want?" she spat.

"You know, for a superhero, you're not very nice," Chat snickered.

Ladybug felt her temperature rising. The mangy cat had only spoken twice and she was already fed up with him. Ladybug snapped herself out of her anger and began to scan him, looking for an object where the akuma could be hiding.

"I don't have much patience for villains," she said. "So let's cut down on the small talk."

She flicked her wrist and began to spin the yo-yo by her side at lightning speed.

Chat Noir pretended to look hurt by her words. "Oh, you're not in the mood for a quick _chat_?"

He reached behind his back and pulled out a staff. He pressed a button on it to extend it to a longer length and then spun it around just as fast as Ladybug was spinning her yo-yo.

 _The akuma must be in there!_ Ladybug thought.

"I _hate_ puns," she said with a grunt as she threw her yo-yo forward at full force, wrapping it around Chat's staff and then pulling it towards her.

She grinned as the staff snapped into her hand. "You know, for a cat, you're not very fast," she said.

Before she could react, Chat Noir lunged at Ladybug and slammed her back against a pole. Suddenly, Chat was holding his staff to her throat, pressing it with just enough pressure to make her cough. She reached up desperately to try to push the staff away from her throat, but Chat was too strong and Ladybug was suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Silly Bugaboo," he said, leaning in close to her. She could feel his hot breath on her face. "There's no akuma in this staff. There is no akuma _anywhere_."

Ladybug gasped for air but refused to let any fear show in her eyes as she glared at him. _There has to be an akuma!_ She thought as her mind raced.

Just then, Chat pulled the staff away from her throat and wrapped an arm around Ladybug's waist as she collapsed into him, gasping for air. She was too busy taking in deep breaths to fight him when he suddenly pulled her to his chest and looked down into her blue belle eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you, milady," he murmured. "But there's something you have that I need, and I'll be coming back for it."

His green eyes seemed to glow in the dark as his gaze shifted to her ears. He reached up a gloved hand and briefly touched one of her earrings. He grinned wickedly and then released her before jumping off the top of the tower.

* * *

"So, did you change your mind," Plagg asked in between bites of camembert, his eyes hopeful. "About stealing Ladybug's miraculous?"

"What makes you think I changed my mind?" Adrien snapped, suddenly annoyed.

"You could've taken her earrings tonight," Plagg stated plainly. "But you didn't."

"It would've been too easy," Adrien lied, spitting out an excuse. "It would've been no fun. Like a cat, I like the chase."

Adrien turned away to look out his bedroom windows. While it was true he liked a good challenge, he hadn't taken Ladybug's earrings tonight because he wanted a reason to meet with her again. He wanted to chase _her_. Besides, he caught her by surprise tonight, but from now on, she had a heads up. It was only fair.

His mind wandered to visions of those blue belle eyes. Those deep orbs had burned with determination. It was the first time he had seen her up close. With his cat-like vision, he had taken in every freckle, her milky skin, pink lips… Adrien grinned. He was pleased with the impression he left on her.

"Don't you need to get some sleep tonight?" Plagg asked. "Tomorrow is a big day for you."

A huge smile broke out across Adrien's face. It dawned on him that tomorrow was his first day of school - ever. He had finally convinced his father to allow him to enroll in public school. Besides, maybe attending public school would help him track down Ladybug. Based on his observations, he guessed she was about his age. It was unlikely he would just so happen to attend the same school as her, but it was an excuse to convince his dad nonetheless.

"You're right, Plagg," he finally said. "Good night."

* * *

Marinette moaned in annoyance as Alya sprayed her face with a water bottle.

"Wake up, girl, time for the first day of school!" she practically sang.

"How did you get in here?" Marinette asked, pulling the bed sheet over her head. She was utterly exhausted. After her infuriating run-in with Chat Noir the night before, she had run back to the parade to check on Alya and the others.

"Your mom let me up," Alya answered and then she grabbed Marinette's legs and yanked her off the bed. Marinette let out a yelp as she hit the ground.

"Girl, come on, we need to pick out your outfit!" Alya exclaimed, pulling Marinette up onto her feet.

Marinette's groggy eyes finally opened wide enough to see that Alya was pretty dressed up from her usual school clothes. Her hair was in a braid and she wore a flowery summer dress.

"What's the occasion?" Marinette asked with a yawn.

Alya rolled her eyes. "It's the first day of school, Mari! This is going to be our year!" She said and then wiggled her eyebrows. "Plus, there will be new students… Maybe new _boys_ in our class?"

This time, Marinette rolled her eyes, figuring that Alya really just wanted to impress Nino. But she relented. 15 minutes later, she was wearing a solid red halter dress with black lacy gloves that exposed only her fingertips and a pair of black combat boots. Her hair was down, bouncing around her shoulders in dark blue waves. It was a striking difference to her everyday pigtails.

"Looking good," Tikki squeaked after Alya headed downstairs.

Marinette smiled warmly, feeling confident. "Thanks Tikki, time for school!"

When Alya and Marinette entered their classroom, Marinette couldn't help but feel at home. Her classmates were chatting excitedly, no doubt about the fiasco during the parade the night before. The students gathered around Chloe, who seemed to be enjoying the attention.

"It was horrible, absolutely ridiculous!" she exaggerated, throwing her hands up in the air. "He ruined our float and I was covered in dust!"

Despite the awful situation Chloe described, Marinette couldn't help but chuckle. She wasn't fond of Chloe, but she had to admit school wouldn't be the same without her.

As she approached the group of students, Marinette heard a small gasp. "Marinette," Nathaniel breathed, stepping towards her. "You look...really good in red."

Marinette smiled at her friend. "Thank you, it's my favorite color," she said with a wink.

Everyone was sitting down in their usual seats when the classroom door opened once more. Marinette had her head down, working on a new design, when she caught sight of an orange pair of sneakers out of the corner of her eye. Curious, she lifted her head to see who the shoes belonged to.

And there he stood. A tall, blonde boy with tan skin and dazzling green eyes. _Dang…_ she thought to herself. _Wait, he looks familiar…_

"Adrikins!" Chloe cried, jumping up out of her seat to tackle the blonde boy.

Marinette frowned. "Adrikins?" she murmured to Alya.

"Girl, that's _Adrien Agreste_ ," she whispered back.

"A-Agreste? As in, like, _Gabriel_ Agreste?" Marinette's jaw dropped. "Gabriel is my all-time favorite designer!"

"Yea and Adrien is his teen-model son," Alya smirked.

Just then, Madame Bustier entered the classroom, signaling for students to take their seats for role call.

"You can sit here, across the aisle from me!" Chloe said to Adrien, pointing to the empty seat in the front row next to Nino, which was right in front of Marinette.

"Thanks, Chlo," Adrien replied. As he walked up to the desk, his eyes caught Marinette's and he smiled warmly, sending butterflies through her stomach. As the new boy took his seat and quietly introduced himself to Nino, Marinette raised an eyebrow. He _seemed_ nice, but he was friends with _Chloe_. That had to be a bad sign, right?

* * *

Adrien fought hard to keep a smile on his face as Chloe climbed all over him as soon as he walked into the classroom. Yes, she was like his only friend, but he didn't care for how she clung onto him all the time. He was here to make new friends, but he couldn't do that if Chloe was going to be hanging onto him 24/7.

He did appreciate her guiding him to one of the few empty seats in the class, though. As he walked up to his desk, a glint of blue caught his eye. He looked up at the girl in a red dress sitting in the desk behind his seat. Her hair was dark as midnight, so dark that it had a blue tint. His gaze met her blue eyes and he smiled.

 _Well, hello..._ he thought mischievously. After sitting down, he turned his attention to the boy sitting next to him.

"Hi, I'm Adrien," he said, flashing a smile.

A corner of the boy's mouth twitched and his eyes narrowed slightly. "You're friends with Chloe, right?"

"Chloe? Um…" Adrien was interrupted by Madame Bustier's voice.

"Agreste, Adrien," she called out. Adrien's head snapped up at the sound of his name. He stared blankly at the teacher, wondering what he was supposed to do.

"Um, that's me, I-uh," Adrien stammered nervously.

He heard a quiet chuckle beside him. "You say, 'Present,'" the boy next to him whispered.

"Oh! Um, present!" Adrien exclaimed awkwardly as quiet giggles erupted throughout the room.

"Thanks," Adrien whispered back to the boy. "I'm new at this whole school thing. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way, I don't have a lot of friends besides Chloe…"

The boy paused for a moment to study Adrien and after a moment, a grin spread across his face. "I'm Nino," he said, reaching out a hand for Adrien to shake. "And it's time for you to make some new friends, dude."

* * *

Marinette was lost in thought as Alya blabbered on about how many views her video of Chat Noir's appearance got on her Ladyblog. Marinette kept replaying the events of the night before over and over in her head, hoping to recall some other item on the villain that could've had the akuma.

 _But why did he say there's no akuma?_ She wondered as Chat's words came back to haunt her.

As she and Alya re-entered the school after lunch, she was so zoned out that she didn't see Chloe stick out her foot to trip her. Marinette yelped and shut her eyes as she saw the ground fast approaching her face.

A moment later, she didn't feel the impact she expected. Instead, she felt two hands gripping her elbows and she slowly opened her eyes to see who it was. A pair of electric green eyes were looking down at her.

"You okay? Nothing broken?" Adrien asked.

Marinette blinked. "I-uh-I mean, no, I'm f-fine, thank you," she stammered, straightening herself out.

She saw a flash of curiosity in his eyes but it was instantly replaced with a warm smile. "I'm Adrien," he said, reaching out for her hand. "What's your name?"

She took his hand and shook it, a dumbstruck look still on her face. "Marinette," she replied.

"Marinette," he repeated with a soft hum. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He bowed forward and pressed his lips onto the top of her hand before releasing it and turning to walk away with a grin. It all happened so fast that it took Marinette a moment to realize what had just happened. She snapped out of it when she heard a low growl coming from Chloe and uncontrolled giggles coming from Alya.

As Chloe huffed wordlessly and stormed off after Adrien, Alya turned to Marinette. "What was _that_?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Huh? What? Nothing!" Marinette exclaimed, her face growing hot.

"Looks like a certain girl in red caught the new boy's attention," Alya said with a sly wink.

Marinette felt herself get even more red. "Whatever," she mumbled. "Let's just get the rest of this day over with so we can go home!"


	4. Chapter 4

It's a Date

Plagg quietly made his way out of Adrien's window after he was sure the boy was asleep. He flew over to a nearby rooftop where another small, red kwami was waiting.

"Tikki!" Plagg cried out, his small paws wrapping around her. "I missed you so much!"

Tikki giggled, a few tears of happiness welling up in her big, blue eyes. "You missed me more than cheese?" she asked with a sniffle.

Plagg grinned and winked at Tikki teasingly. But after a moment, a somber look came over Tikki's face.

"I was so worried when the Guardian told me you'd been summoned," she said. "You and your miraculous had been missing for years and we didn't know who could possibly have you."

"Hawkmoth had me," Plagg said. "He's the one who gave me to my chosen."

Tikki's big eyes grew even larger. "Hawkmoth? Oh no, have you been mistreated?" she asked, putting her tiny paws on Plagg's cheeks.

Plagg shook his head. "Hawkmoth may be evil, but my chosen has a good heart," Plagg explained. "He is just being tricked by Hawkmoth."

Tikki paused, lost in thought. "Hm," she hummed. "If he has good in him, maybe the bond between us and our miraculous will draw him to Ladybug."

"You think our chosens will bond? But my chosen is set on taking down Ladybug! She shouldn't trust him," Plagg huffed, frustrated.

Tikki took his paws in hers. "You and I both know that the Ladybug and Chat Noir bond is strong," Tikki said comfortingly. "Even outside of their transformed states, they'll be drawn to each other."

"We just have to have hope that it'll be strong enough to work all this out for good," she said. "We must keep this between us for now."

The kwamis stayed there a little longer, taking in the night sky above them and enjoying each other's company despite their worries.

* * *

"Nathalie, will you please give me a moment alone with my father?" Adrien asked at dinner the next evening as he sat at the large dining table next to Gabriel Agreste.

With a nod, Nathalie exited the dining room and shut the doors behind her. Adrien poked his untouched food with his fork, feeling nervous.

"What are you planning?" Gabriel asked, placing his elbow on the table and touching his fingertips together.

Adrien drew in a quick, sharp breath and looked up to meet his father's gaze. "I need you to send out an akuma to lure Ladybug tonight."

His father frowned. "You should've taken her miraculous when you had the chance."

"Trust me, father, I know what I'm doing." Adrien assured.

Gabriel eyed Adrien critically and then let out a small sigh. "Alright, I trust you will do whatever it takes to get those earrings and help bring back your mother."

Adrien's gaze hardened. "Yes, whatever it takes."

* * *

Marinette was surprised with how late the akuma attacked. Most akuma attacks took place in the mornings and afternoons. She had the class absences and tardies to prove it.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she called out, throwing the razor she had received as her lucky charm into the air.

Chloe Bourgeois' butler dropped to his knees, detransforming after the akuma released him. He had been akumatized into Big Mustachio after Chloe had angered him. Chloe had been dressed up as Ladybug, pretending to take down the butler who she forced to dress up as a villain. Big Mustachio had been drawing mustaches on the people of Paris and Ladybug had used the razor to shave off his mustache, which is where the akuma had been hiding.

 _Geez, Hawkmoth must be running out of ideas_ , she thought to herself with a laugh.

She pulled out her yo-yo, ready to swing off the top of Le Grand Paris hotel before her five minutes were up.

She flung her yo-yo, aiming for a nearby building. But her yo-yo didn't make it very far because a gloved hand reached out with lighting speed and caught the end of it.

Ladybug spun around and saw Chat Noir standing at the edge of the roof with a hand raised, her yo-yo in his closed fist. He wore a subtle grin that Ladybug wanted to wipe off his face.

She stomped her foot. "Will you stop doing that?" she growled.

Chat's green eyes looked electric against the night sky, blazing behind the blonde locks that blew across his forehead. Those eyes were locked on her and she felt her anger subside slightly, distracted by his intense gaze. She stood gaping as he slowly started to walk towards her, finally stopping just inches away from her face.

She blinked a few times and then snapped out of it and scowled at him. But she was taken aback once more when he took her hand without a word. He delicately uncurled her clenched fist and placed the yo-yo in the palm of her hand. She looked up into his eyes, confused and unable to read his expression.

"Ladybug," he murmured softly, his fingers still on her palm. "I have a proposition to make."

She fought hard to keep her gaze and voice steady. "I don't make deals with villains."

The corners of his mouth twitched with amusement. "It's not a deal," he explained. "It's an invitation."

She rolled her eyes and let out a small huff. "Look, I'm not giving you my miraculous," she stated. She was so fed up with these akumatized victims always demanding she just hand over her miraculous. Like, did they really think she was just going to hand it to them?

Chat Noir chuckled, his eyes dancing. Ladybug's scowl deepened. "Calm down, LB. I want to invite you out to dinner."

Ladybug tensed, her eyes wide. The cool demeanor she was fighting so hard to keep suddenly broke as she stood dumbstruck once again. Then she laughed, sounding delusional. "Dinner?" she finally managed to say. "Like, you are asking me out on a date? You think I would date a _villain_?"

His face remained serious with only his lips twitching slightly. "Not a romantic date," he said, raising his hands innocently. "I just want to talk to you and figured a lady like yourself deserves the best treatment."

 _The best treatment?_ She thought, stunned at how ridiculous this was. _Like when you tried to choke me to death?_ She didn't trust this guy.

Chat Noir must've been able to read her expression because he suddenly took another step forward, slipping one arm around Ladybug's waist. She instinctively brought her hands up to press them against his chest to lean back away from him.

"Hey, what are you-" she started to say as she pushed against his chest, but he pulled her in tighter and looked at her with so much mischief in his cat-like eyes.

A beeping sound cut off her words and her eyes widened in fear. One minute.

Chat glanced at her earrings. "Sounds like you have to go, milady," he murmured. She could've sworn he glanced down at her lips for a moment. "Meet me two nights from now at this time on top of the Champs Elysées."

"Why should I?" Ladybug sneered.

"Because I know who Hawkmoth really is," he answered matter-of-factly.

Her eyes widened and she pulled away from him, reaching a hand up to one of her earrings. "I'll be there," she said carefully before turning to go. "But you better not waste my time."

"It's a date," he said with a grin.

With that, she jumped off the hotel roof and headed towards her balcony.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I've totally been stress writing and although I have the entire story planned out, I'm still unsure about how it's unraveling. Any reviews would be much appreciated! What do you guys think?**

 **I'm in my last two weeks of the semester but I will update soon. Thanks for reading!**


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